Lhamo Ekajati, spiritual symbol of Indo-Bhutan relations Revered by Hindu and Buddhist alike, she is one of a trinity of dharma protectors, and resides at Tumdra Hill The 8th century Buddhist mystic, Guru Padmasambhava created many spiritual treasures (ters) and concealed these special ciphers and codes in our country for posterity. Over the centuries, tertons or treasure discovers have revealed many of these ters at the predestined time under circumstances, which have been shrouded in mystery and miracle. In the 18th century, Terton Drukda Dorji, discovered some of these ters, including the Guru’s lungten or prophecy, relating to the relationship between India and Bhutan. The prophesy also contains the dokthab kurims (skillful means to ward off obstacles), necessary to cement and enhance the relationship between the two countries. Folio No 82 of Terton Drukda Dorji’s ma ong gi lungten, states that the Tumdra Hill in Pasakha has many ters necessary to enhance bilateral relationship of Bhutan and India. Until the treasures are found, it is crucial to recite the kanjur a hundred times as dokthab kurim. Tumdra Hill Guru Padmasambhava hid spiritual treasures in the environs of unusual natural features, and often under supernatural circumstances. The Tumdra hill (521m) in Pasakha, on the Indo-Bhutan border, is one such place. It is more accessible from Buxa in India than from Bhutan. For most of the year, it is inaccessible as the Shachaphu River, cuts off the route during the monsoon. The hill has 51 caves, which are all carved out of the steep cliff-face of the hill. The terton’s zhugthri (seat) is still in one of the caves, which remains intact in present day Chunabati lhakhang. Other unusual features of the landscape are the lakes and the stories surrounding it. The Ami La Tsho is considered the most sacred, as it believed to be the “soul lake” of Lhamo Ekajati. The lake is located on the outskirts of an Indian village called Jainti. The spiritual marks on the physical landscape of Tumdra hill have no physical significance, but in spiritual terms, they are seen as the work of the universal mind, the mind of the Guru. Lhamo Ekajati The chief resident of the power place in Tumdra hill is Lhamo Ekajati. She is highly revered and feared by both the Hindus and Buddhist. In the Nyingma tradition, there are three primary choesungs or dharma protectors, and Ekajati is considered one of them in the trinity of Ma Dza Dam Sum – Mamo Ekajati, Dza Rahula and Damchen Dorji Legpa. Further, the blue Tara is considered the emanation of Ekajati. It is believed that Guru Rinpoche had subjugated and made her one of the principal dharma protector. The dharma protector is described to be short-tempered and, in her wrathful form, capable of striking misfortune on anyone who displeases her, but is also known for her power to fulfill wishes. Lhamo Ekajati has a unique look and is depicted with a single breast, one leg and an eye, which is located on her forehead below her hair that is tied up in a single knot. The unitary symbol reflects unified views of all things. Hindus worship Ekajati as Mahakali or the supreme mother, who is the consort of Lord Shiva. They believe, when the goddess died, Lord Shiva flew the corpse around the world and, somewhere along the journey, the body of Mahakali split into 51 parts, which then descended down to earth. According to this legend, the right leg of Mahakali fell in Tumdra nye, while the heart fell in Kalighat in Kolkata, India. Some Bhutanese believe Lhamo Ekajati to be the secret consort of Terton Drukda Dorji. Ap Tsenda, a village elder of Chapcha village, recounts stories of how the terton visited the nye in Geshelum, the ancient name for Pasakha, and can orate the details of how the terton revealed a ter in a place called Gamana in proximity of Lhamo Ekajati’s abode. Another story tells of how the terton meditated in the caves of Tumdra nye, and discovered a statue of Ekajati, concealed by Guru Rinpoche. Locals in Chapcha believe that the dzongpon or governor of Pasakha looked after the ter until the 1864 Duar war, during which time, it is said, the governor fled his domain, leaving behind the statue. Subsequently, a monk found the statue and took it to Dokhachu lhakhang in Chapcha where it is currently housed. The Tumdra nye is also known by Tumdra Ami nye, Aum Kangchema nye, Lhamo Ekajati nye, Shiv Mandir, Mahakali Mandir, Mahakal Dham, Jainti and Sachaphu nye. Buddhists believe the bye as Phurpai nye and the Hindus worship it as the abode of Mahakali, making it a popular pilgrim spot. Bhutanese pilgrims, normally from Tala, Gedu and Chapacha, visit this lake and offer prayers to Aum Kangchema every year, coinciding with the 15th day of the first month of the Bhutanese calendar. Indian pilgrims also perform rituals every year on Lord Buddha’s Parinirvana. There is one small Bhutanese temple in the nye. In 1968, on the behest of lam Tokdhen Drep and gelong Neynchen Drep, Her Majesty the Grand Queen Mother, Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck, sponsored the construction of the present lhakhang. The temple was offered to the dratshang lhentshog. During the 1990 anti Bhutan uprising, the lhakhang was damaged. Ever since, Lopen Thinley volunteered to look after the sacred temple, and has been on the job for over two decades. Finding spiritual treasures are not evidence based like medicine or archaeology. The miraculous status is important and more relevant than whether the ters are genuine ancient items. Within the terma tradition, empirical proof has a different significance. Bhutanese consider the terma tradition, important, precious and above all, effective, as a spiritual means. The primary purpose of the treasure teaching is to provide followers of the dharma with fresh or direct source of wisdom and spiritual power. Like in many religions, in Buddhism, reality and truth are to a great extent internalised. People, who believe in objective reality, mostly do not believe in miracles, as it requires faith contradictory to empirical truth. Buddhists view that there is no contradiction, since there is, ultimately, no dividing line between subjective and objective truths, and between physical and spiritual. There may be ters yet to be discovered, in Tumdra hill. Tertons know that visualisation of the sought-for treasure is essential to the process of discovery. Hence, visualising protective and enhancing rituals is essential to cement an understanding of the interconnectedness of all beings, and the discovery of new and mutually beneficial ters. Believing in the prophecies is one thing, but Lhamo Ekajati is a symbol of oneness, reflecting unified views of all things. In Tumdra Hill, she is supreme and has unified the hearts of the Hindus and Buddhist, and brought together the minds of the Indian and Bhutanese. Contributed by Tshering Tashi
Posted on: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 09:44:33 +0000
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